The use of Botox for migraines was, like many other new applications for the drug, a kind of happy accident. A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon observed that people who got Botox for wrinkles were reporting fewer headaches, paving the way for studies about migraines. Similarly, doctors in Europe were intrigued when they noticed that their patients who got Botox for facial spasms were sweating less than usual.
Spread of toxin effects.The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing.
The FDA approved such usage in the late 1980s when it was discovered that BOTOX® could stop ailments such as blepharospasm (uncontrolled blinking) and strabismus (lazy eye). Cosmetic physicians have been using BOTOX® for years to successfully treat wrinkles and facial creases. BOTOX® is approved for treatment of frown lines on the forehead, crow’s feet (lines around the eye), and axillary hyperhidrosis (increased sweating of the armpits). Within the past few years, new products that have similar preparations have been introduced into the U.S. market and have been well-received by patients.
Allergan says Botox is well established as a drug and that the benefits and risks of toxins are well understood. "With more than 25 years of real-world clinical experience ... approximately 3,200 articles in scientific and medical journals, marketing authorizations in more than 90 markets and many different indications, Botox and Botox Cosmetic are [among] the most widely researched medicines in the world," an Allergan rep wrote in an emailed statement.
Botox essentially paralyzes the muscles and stops them from contracting. Results are visible within one week after treatment and remain for a minimum of three months. Some surgeons suggest that Zytaze, a new prescription zinc supplement, can extend these results if taken in the days leading up to your Botox injections. Ask your doctor about Zytaze before your next Botox injection.

Kybella helps patients lose their dreaded double chin and regain the taut, sculpted profile of their youth. The ingredients in Kybella are naturally made by the body, which means that you’re very likely to be satisfied with the results. It works by destroying the fat cells under the chin, making them unable to store fat any longer. Each treatment only requires 15-20 minutes, which leaves enough time to grab some sushi before you head back to the office. You’ll pay out somewhere between $1200 and $1800, but a chin tuck can cost anywhere from $1500 to $4000. Plus, Kybella doesn’t require the healing time that traditional skin liposuction does.

But for some conditions, step therapy can be downright harmful. In a 2016 op-ed in The Boston Globe, a patient with ulcerative colitis wrote that his health insurance forced him to try a cheaper treatment for six months, instead of the pricier meds his doctor wanted to prescribe. In those six months, his colon deteriorated so badly it had to be removed.

Many times, effects on spasticity are longer lasting. It is not clear if this is due to breaking down patterned movements (many muscles contracting together rather than singly) or from allowing weak muscles to get stronger over time (that were overpowered before by more spastic muscles pulling against them). It is vital to have close follow-up after the injections to figure out the best course of treatment.
The one side effect that we most commonly see with Botox for migraine, ironically, is increased headache pain in the days immediately following the injections. Interestingly, some patients have the opposite effect, noticing immediate pain relief. That may be due to an acupuncture-like response, where poking needles into unhappy muscles actually makes them feel better.
In response to the occurrence of these side effects, in 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified the public of the potential dangers of the botulinum toxin as a therapeutic. Namely, they warned that the toxin can spread to areas distant from the site of injection and paralyze unintended muscle groups, especially when used for treating muscle spasticity in children treated for cerebral palsy.[28] In 2009, the FDA announced that boxed warnings would be added to available botulinum toxin products, warning of their ability to spread from the injection site.[29] Additionally, the FDA announced name changes to several botulinum toxin products, meant to emphasize that the products are not interchangeable and require different doses for proper use. Botox and Botox Cosmetic were renamed onabotulinumtoxinA, Myobloc was renamed rimabotulinumtoxinB, and Dysport name renamed abobotulinumtoxinA.[29] In conjunction with this, the FDA issued a communication to health care professionals reiterating the new drug names and the approved uses for each.[30] A similar warning was issued by Health Canada in 2009, warning that botulinum toxin products can spread to other parts of the body.[31]
BOTOX is administered about every three months, and must be injected at the site of each nerve trigger, relaxing the surrounding muscles so that they won’t compress the nerve and trigger a migraine. It is a potent drug, and we only recommend using it if other preventative treatment options haven’t helped you. It is generally only administered to patients who have at least 14 headaches a month, or don’t respond to other treatments.
So let's talk about it, shall we? And before we do, let's also get one thing out of the way—I've had Botox. And it was free. As a result, I've found myself trying to field questions about the price and popularity of certain treatments, and many times my knowledge on the subject comes up short. To remedy that fact, I decided to do some research into the real, unexaggerated pricing for injections and what each formula and technique will actually do to your face. Below find the answers you may have been looking for but didn't feel comfortable asking.
On February 1, 2017, the company acquired LifeCell, a specialist in regenerative medicine, for $2.9 billion.[32] On April 28, the company acquired Zeltiq Aesthetics, marketer of a cryolipolysis procedure, for $2.4 billion.[33] On June 7, the company announced the acquisition of Keller Medical, a company that manufactures devices for use during breast augmentation surgery.[34] On December 12, the company announced the acquisition of Repros Therapeutics, a developer of drugs for reproductive system diseases.[35]
Since then, several randomized control trials have shown botulinum toxin type A to improve headache symptoms and quality of life when used prophylactically for patients with chronic migraine[88] who exhibit headache characteristics consistent with: pressure perceived from outside source, shorter total duration of chronic migraines (<30 years), "detoxification" of patients with coexisting chronic daily headache due to medication overuse, and no current history of other preventive headache medications.[89]
Though botulinum toxin is available under different names, Botox is the only one that is FDA-approved for migraine prevention. To be considered for Botox, patients must have migraines 15 days or more per month, which is considered chronic daily migraine. About 4 million Americans have such migraines, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. Also, patients must have tried and failed on at least 2 other medications first.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day. Reuters provides trusted business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the world's media organizations, and directly to consumers at Reuters.com and via Reuters TV. Learn more about Thomson Reuters products:
Breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction includes primary reconstruction to replace breast tissue that has been removed due to cancer or trauma or that has failed to develop properly due to a severe breast abnormality. Breast reconstruction also includes revision surgery to correct or improve the result of a primary breast reconstruction surgery.

Most insurance providers now cover the expense of Botox injections when they’re used to treat chronic migraines. If you don’t have insurance, or your insurance won’t cover the cost of the procedure, it may cost you several thousand dollars. Before you begin receiving injections, talk to your insurance company. In some cases, they may require you to undergo other procedures or tests before they will cover the costs of Botox treatments.

Absolutely. Botox (and competitors like Dysport and Xeomin, which will be widely available next January) are highly purified toxins that can temporarily erase or reduce horizontal forehead lines, vertical frown lines, and crow's-feet. "The injections slow muscles that contract hundreds of times a day, eventually etching lines in the skin," says New York City plastic surgeon Michael Kane, author of The Botox Book (St. Martin's Press). Botox can also lift the corners of the mouth that sag with age, smooth out the "pin cushion" look in some chins, soften smoker's lines around the mouth, and soften vertical neck cords.

Treatment with botulinum toxins may weaken neck muscles that serve as accessory muscles of ventilation. This may result in a critical loss of breathing capacity in patients with respiratory disorders who may have become dependent upon these accessory muscles. There have been postmarketing reports of serious breathing difficulties, including respiratory failure.
In overactive bladder patients with analyzed specimens from the two phase 3 studies and the open-label extension study, neutralizing antibodies developed in 0 of 954 patients (0.0%) while receiving BOTOX 100 Unit doses and 3 of 260 patients (1.2%) after subsequently receiving at least one 150 Unit dose. Response to subsequent BOTOX treatment was not different following seroconversion in these three patients.
The frontalis muscle attaches to the skin of the lower forehead and ascends to join the fronto-occipital aponeurosis. The action of the frontalis muscle involves elevation of the eyebrows to produce expressions such as surprise, and can cause deep transverse wrinkles on the forehead. The antagonists for brow depression are the corrugators, procerus, and orbicularis oculi muscles.

When my babies were little, I never discussed migraine with them. As they grew into preschool and elementary age, I found it necessary to explain it to them. They had seen me experience migraine symptoms for a long time but understood it as just being sick. We went to a migraine walk where we talked about how others cope like I do, and they heard other stories that were similar to mine. They felt empowered that we had fundraised for a disease that affects millions and that we were fighting it as a family and community. My children want to help. Having ways they can help builds their confidence in their ability to take care of me, as I do them. They know to turn the lights off, get ice and talk quietly. I have taught them how to be self-sufficient. I’m so proud of how they take care of themselves and are willing to take care of others. The qualities that they’re learning and displaying will carry them through life.

Botox injections use onaboutlinumtoxin A, also known as the botulinum toxin, injected in small amounts to certain points in the head to treat migraine headaches, tension headaches, and chronic daily headaches. This treatment has been shown to be most effective for headaches that are located in the forehead and neck. Botox has also been used to treat the following conditions:
Please note, there are no guaranteed results with BOTOX and results may vary from patients to patient. Though BOTOX is not effective for all types of headaches, about 90% of MRC’s patients report that their migraines are less frequent and not as severe after BOTOX treatment. In clinical trials, patients reported seven to nine fewer headaches per month. In a study by A. H. Elkind, P. O’Carroll, A. Blumenfeld, R. DeGryse, and R. Dimitrova, a standard course of treatment brought patients these results:
At the recent American Headache Society meeting in Washington DC, Allergan invested heavily in educating the board-certified headache physicians on the most effective injection sites and methods for Chronic Migraine patients. Find one here. Were I to repeat Botox for Migraine, I would absolutely find one of those Allergan-trained doctors and ask them exactly how many Botox for Migraine procedures they’d done.
Bronchitis was reported more frequently as an adverse reaction in patients treated for upper limb spasticity with BOTOX® (3% at 251 Units to 360 Units total dose) compared to placebo (1%). In patients with reduced lung function treated for upper limb spasticity, upper respiratory tract infections were also reported more frequently as adverse reactions in patients treated with BOTOX® (11% at 360 Units total dose; 8% at 240 Units total dose) compared to placebo (6%). In adult patients treated for lower limb spasticity, upper respiratory tract infections were reported more frequently as an adverse event in patients treated with BOTOX® (2% at 300 Units to 400 Units total dose), compared to placebo (1%).
The most frequently reported adverse reactions following injection of BOTOX for adult lower limb spasticity appear in Table 17. Two hundred thirty one patients enrolled in a double-blind placebo controlled study (Study 6) received 300 Units to 400 Units of BOTOX, and were compared with 233 patients who received placebo. Patients were followed for an average of 91 days after injection.

In a double-blind study of 123 adults with regular, chronic migraine, the adults receiving botulinum toxin type A experienced fewer migraine attacks each month. In addition, attacks they did experience were less intense, of shorter duration, and required less treatment than adults who did not receive Botox injections for migraine. These injections were also well-tolerated in adults experiencing migraine with and without aura.

BOTOX® can be used on the forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet, bunny lines (lines in the nose), chin (for dimpling), skin bands on the neck, and around the mouth (for smoker’s lines and down-turned corners of the mouth). Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity often will not respond to BOTOX®. It is important to re-emphasize that BOTOX® is NOT a facial filler (that is, it does not fill existing wrinkles) – it merely relaxes the muscles that are creating those wrinkles.

Firstly, that is one of the most popular combination of areas for Botox treatment in my office. Like others on this panel, I happen to think the fairest method for charging for Botox is by the unit. Botox can only be purchased through Allergan here in the United States and comes in a 100 unit bottle typically. The only common denominator between offices is how many units of Botox are you... READ MORE

Allergan’s websites may ask your browser to store cookies, a small piece of data, on your computer or mobile device. A cookie can be used to enable a site to remember information that you previously input. It also helps deliver content-specific information to you and tracks how sections of websites are used. We may also use cookies to understand your preferences and tailor your access to your preferences. Your consent is required for Allergan to remember your user details and preferences over time. If you consent, choose “I accept.” You can withdraw your consent by changing your browser settings to erase cookies from your computer’s hard drive, block all cookies, or receive a warning before a cookie is stored. Please check your Internet browser’s instructions to learn more about these functions. Your consent is voluntary; however, if you do not consent to cookies being installed on your browser, Allergan may not be able to provide you full access to or all the functionality of our websites.

Can you use Botox under your eyes? Botox is often used to treat lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. Can it also reduce dark circles or bags under the eyes? Using Botox under the eyes is not approved in the U.S. and researchers are unsure how well it may work and what side effects may occur. Here, learn about the procedure and its alternatives. Read now